What we want to be

In this Joel-free episode (don't worry, he's just away), Tim, Stu, and Ethan dive deep into what makes Soul Revival's approach to church distinctive—and why it matters. The conversation starts with preaching in hostile environments (including the story of Stu getting hit with an orange at a school), then moves into a fascinating discussion about why church kitchens are vanishing across America. A recent Christianity Today article reveals that newly built churches are scrapping full kitchens in favor of "co-working spaces" and other community-facing facilities. But Soul Revival has doubled down on meals as central to church life. Stu explains how Soul Revival's meal practice didn't come from American church growth models but from Aboriginal Christian communities in Brewarrina, NSW, where church naturally extended into shared meals. This wasn't a missional strategy, it was friendship. The episode explores how this connects to pre-industrial church culture, fellowship teas, and why modern churches separated discipleship from mission. The joy and frivolity section is pure gold: from the legendary Black Stump pool table incident to Soul Revival's recent viral moment welcoming strangers at Sydney Airport. Ethan shares what happened when an influencer captured their spontaneous celebration of arriving passengers. The hosts unpack why this kind of joyful, confident Christian witness works, not as an incarnational strategy to earn the right to be heard, but as an authentic expression of who they are. Throughout, the conversation wrestles with hegemony, the grunge movement, the Black Panthers, why Pentecostals are surprised at Soul Revival, and what it means to bring "the action" back into the church instead of exporting it to pubs and events. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and tough times speaking in front of people 11:20 Church kitchens and the generational divide 38:00 Joy, frivolity and virality Discussed on this episode: John Laws funeral Michael Jensen sermon at funeral Christianity Today: Church Kitchens Getting Chopped No Guts, No Glory, by Ken Moser, Al Vaughan, Ed Stewart Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry, by Andrew Root Soul Revival at the airport Black Panther Party Seraph Music